We are going to do it!

" We have 4 forklift truck batteries and 2 solar panels and we just charge the batteries about once a week or so. It's great. We also have 2 inverters, a charge controller and a meter."

Nice and inovative! Where did you find the forklift truck batteries? What is the Ahr rating each and total for the setup? I'm curious as it creates the idea of another option, golfcart batteries are the usual item in many applications, again, a less than easy item to procure. The size of inverter with this setup as well, the W rating on the solar panels - all good info to share if you don't mind, I like new ideas that have had a record of success - thx

So now everyone has Internet Access?

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Freedom isn't Free

We have one 50 watt and one 55 watt solar panel. Our inverter is 400 watts, a Coleman, which could be bought in a automotive or camping store.

The forklift truck batteries are 100 amh each, 6 volt deep cycle lead acid batteries. They cost $105. for 2 of them. Actually, they were easy for us to get because we got them directly from Raymond Corporation in Greene, NY (10 miles from our home and where my husband was employed at the time), who manufactures forklift trucks.

What we like about our set up is that it is more affordable. We just add to it as we can. But this generator really made the biggest impact on it. We had one of those Coleman 1000 watt generators (received it as a Christmas gift) and it just couldn't take it. As we had to use it alot. This new generator only does DC and has a amperage control meter. So you can equalize the batteries whenever you need to.

I second the recommendation on insulation; anything you spend up front will be geometrical savings every winter. One brandname "foil covered bubble wrap insulation" that Cyngbaeld mentioned is Reflectix. It's expensive but worth it long term. Even caulk around outlets and light fixtures, ... And push fiberglass into cracks around windows before you install casing (sprayfoam works, but it can effect openability of window if it expands more than you predict). Speaking of windows, if you can afford at least double-insulated and preferably vinyl frames go for it -- they're worth way more than nice cabinets or even trim in my book.

The county sanitarian should be able to fill you in on specifics for septic rules. Be open and positive when dealing with govt folks: sometimes they're programed to be in a rut: they won't help if they're p.o.'d. A friend of mine uses a 5 gallon bucket with peat moss in lieu of a loo -- kind of hard for the authorities to notice if you decide to try to slip under their eyes. But then again that might be difficult with so many munchkins. 'Course maybe that's just more hands to help take out the "compost"...

Also, if there is any way possible, I would eliminate the rest of your debt beforehand.

...Just more two cents -- worth every bit you paid for it!
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Wow, loved reading all these posts. Brought back alot of memories. When I was young, my parents moved from Chandler,AZ to the white Mts. of AZ. Our house was built from old railroad ties the men hauled in, can still smell the creosote smell they had to them. You would get tar on you if you bumped against them.Our way to keep food cold was a hole dug in the ground with a big oil drum that had holes in it. A crate would be lowered into it, and the milk and perishable foods were put down into the cool water at the bottom of the oil drum. We had an outdoor privey, but we were "uptown" cause we had a 2 holer :haha: We had a few chickens for eggs and meat. Water was hauled in big water drums to drink, but they got rusty pretty fast. Winter we melted snow in a big copper boiler on an old wood stove. Mom baked all our bread, and we ate alot of beans.We had a big tub to bathe in,Dad first, then Mom, then me, and last was little brother, then the floors were scrubbed with what was left, and last, we scubbed the outhouse seats.Horses ran free around us, and we played all day in the forests. Now it is a huge resort, condos everywhere, country clubs,houses everywhere and it is too sad to even look at. I never care to go home, the land I knew and loved is destroyed for the name of progress.I envy you being young and full of dreams, may God bless you and keep you safe on your new journey to the best life there is, one of peace when you look out and see your garden grow, or hear the birds, or watch your children grow.

Here is some bad/ugly. If you see it as negative, so be it. I am only being realistic.

First of all, I think its a big mistake to purchase land which will be used for building a house that is off the grid. If there were just one or 2 people involved, maybe. But 5 kids are involved.
I happen to think generators are overpriced, loud, expensive to operate, and far from practical.

And when it comes to having 7 people living in a 27' trailer for an extended length of time in a northern climate, I find this close to insanity.

Can one do it? Of course.

Of course, there will be many many times that ones stress levels will go beyond the stratosphere.

I wish you the very best.

I wish you lost of luck. My only thought was that i don't see people
in Maine buying organic lawn services? Did you check this out. There
isn't a lot of money and most people do stuff themselves.

Maine is truly beautiful. You are going to be on the biggest adventure
of your life - the kids will love it and remember it for always.

Be prepared - June is black fly season - make sure you have a strong repellant. Be prepared for one heck of alot of snow maybe starting as early as late
November until March.

Good luck.

I took a moment to have a look at your photo albums detailing the construction of the vertical pole building and the log cabin. I'm interested in hearing your comments as to how you dealt with some of the issues that the originator of the post is dealing with. Specifically, any advice you might be able to offer this family and others that are starting out with some very basic items and constraints.

I don't believe that they use their generator non-stop or for what I gleaned was an extended period of time. The combination of solar panels and the generator seems to be working well. I agree - stuffing 7 people into a 27' space for a LONG time would help me to be "creative" in terms of planning for and building an addtional living space.

When you were putting you site together, were you alone or did you have to contend with the family issues as you "plodded along" with the day to day tasks? There are obviously a multitude of experiences that might be shared with others - I believe the expression "let's not re-invent the wheel" and help others certainly applies.

I for one would rather spend time learing from others than stumbling along and have someone say -"huh - I wouldn't do that..."

The sequence of photo's of your site are great! It certainly gave me some new insights for the project that I daydream about - good stuff!

A personal experience that I want to share - I served overseas in Bosnia during one of the earlier tours - I had the opportunity to work very closely with the local population in many capacities - I had the privledge of being invited into their "homes" and being offered food and drink - to share what little they had.

The AOR that I worked in had beenVERY hard hit with the fighting and had suffered enormously from the ethnic cleansing. From out of the rubble, destroyed families and ruined farms, these people were rebuilding from the ground up with no electricity, no running water, no Wal-Mart, Piggly Wiggley's and so on. The "economy" was being strangled by the criminal gangs and the black market and yet, the epitome of self-reliance and "homesteading" was the very spirit on display.
The vision of "7 people in a 27' space", with children, older family members and/relatives was not uncommon, many of the homes were still being built from whatever remained of the building, pole structures, slip-forms and using "quarry stone" for foundations - all performed manually - would fill chapters in any hoesteading/self reliance book.

We all can take a lesson from these people and be reminded - no matter how hard the task may seem - never lose hope and keep the spirit alive.

Some replies have brought tears to my eyes- grateful for the sharing!! We feel pretty passionate about taking this step forward to live more simply, closer to the earth and being together more as a family...

One thing - we will only be staying in the 27' camper on weekends (the land we are buying will be about 3 and 3/4 hours away) - and mostly during the warm weather - we will be building a cabin - and many of the weekends we will have help from family and friends with the building.

We currently live in a very small space and have for nearly 2 years, our living space is only about 288 square feet and then there are three small bedrooms - this is an apartment .... (granted this has been for us to save money for our dream of living in a rural town on our own land in a cabin we build and being debt free).

My husband travels nearly an hour each way to work and sometimes more with traffic - and he works in a very not earth friendly field (has for over 18 years)....

We are ready for a change and willing to sacrifice and work - we are blessed with our health and hope the children will grow and learn (and yes, I am sure, grumble) too!!

Thanks for this terrific forum!! I am sure to have zillions of questions in the coming months.
Warm wishes,
Tonya and Family
http://www.naturalearthfarm.com

I most sincerely wish you the best of luck in your adventure, hopefully the only complaints will be from the Guardian Angels that will be watching over you and your family.

Good luck to you in your endeavor. Once you get started and can see a little progress, you will look back and laugh. It is always scary to look towards the unknown, and wonder what if? Your kids will be set free from the TV, and you and your husband will get to work together towards your dream. A year from now you will look back and see huge changes in the way you live. Take lots of pictures, you are creating some family history!

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Laughter is a social sanction against inflexible behavior.
Monty Python

Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.
William Jennings Bryan